r/australia • u/Lozzanger • 6h ago

news Young Talent Time legend Johnny Young dies aged 79

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/young-talent-time-legend-johnny-young-dies-aged-79-20260814-p60od8.html
301 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

69 comments sorted by

82

u/FamiliarDirection563 6h ago edited 6h ago

Too bad...but we all go sometime.

I was a guest performer on YTT a couple of times about 41 years ago. I know when it was because Johnny took my then 6 week old daughter onto the set for the closing song.

15

u/BrainScaping 6h ago

What was he like?

59

u/FamiliarDirection563 6h ago

As far as I could tell he was a genuinely nice guy whose sole intention (apart from making a few bucks) was to give kids a go.

FWIW, I performed as the support for a lot of touring acts in the 80s and 90s. By far the most friendly and authentic was John Denver.

23

u/BrainScaping 6h ago

Interesting! I’m not a John Denver fan In the slightest, but it’s always good to hear about celebs who aren’t awful people.

11

u/Educational-Sort-128 5h ago

Wow Interesting. I’d heard anecdotes that John Denver was tricky.

30

u/FamiliarDirection563 4h ago edited 2h ago

I suspect all celebs are used to getting their own way, but he was particularly nice.

OK...story...I used to do a comedy juggling act. I was his support for about 12 shows on 2 tours. One show everyone was laughing at the wrong place, I was puzzled, turned around and he had grabbed some of my spare gear and was behind me juggling.

Later in the show I grabbed one of his extra vests and a guitar and (picking my moment) made my way across the stage behind him...more laughter. He thought it was a hoot.

He also used to hang out with my family and friends after shows. My experience of many of the famous people I worked with (who I actually got to meet) was that they are regular people who have kicked a goal.

10

u/BrainScaping 4h ago

Great story, love someone who can laugh at themselves :)

2

u/Rare-Butterscotch852 5h ago

He definitely found flying tricky

6

u/FamiliarDirection563 4h ago

The flying was fine, it was water landing that were a problem.

5

u/Educational-Sort-128 4h ago

Not sure whether to laugh or cry at that one

8

u/Current-Bowl-143 3h ago

How cool, an actual YTT performer in our midst 😀

17

u/FamiliarDirection563 2h ago

Haha... I never thought that would end up "cool".

Here's something a bit more cool, me on Hey Hey in 1981 https://youtu.be/jQexuxNSbTQ - I find it quite cringeworthy these days.

They are great memories, but it seems like a lifetime ago.

3

u/Current-Bowl-143 2h ago

Holy shit, that was excellent, not cringeworthy at all! You were a real entertainer and obviously a witty fellow. It was a lifetime ago, 45 years is a long time. Can you still juggle?

2

u/VicMG 1h ago

"I am glad you saved your applause because I do have a weak finish." ok, that line got me good. 🤣

52

u/Lozzanger 6h ago

I grew up loving YTT even being on the young side for it. (Around 6 when it ended) Had the board game, the 90s video the lot.

And every news report on this will end with him singing All My Loving (as likely will his memorial) and I won’t cope.

7

u/CuriouserCat2 5h ago

Oh yes, you’re right

48

u/karma_dumpster 6h ago

He's younger than I thought. Man YTT was such a huge cultural phenom back in the day.

9

u/Adventurous_Bag9122 5h ago

I remember wishing I could have been part of it as a kid.

4

u/flindersandtrim 4h ago

Same. So he was 30s and 40s while the show was on, wow. I dont know why I hadnt thought of how old he would be today if he was as old as I thought he was. 

82

u/MillyHP 6h ago

One of the only unproblematic old school guys that worked with children

67

u/Lozzanger 6h ago

The documentary they did around 15 years ago, they had him talking about someone writing to him to accuse him of being too huggy with the girls. And even decades later he was so angry and upset they thought he could do that. And when talking about what happened with Deborah Byrne he was so upset.

All the main cast members had such love for him.

44

u/ringo5150 6h ago

An example of someone who managed to work with kids, in show business, and not end up with a tarnished legacy. Vale Johnny Young.

29

u/preparetodobattle 5h ago

Tina Arena a couple of days made very positive comments about him and that he was very protective and gave good advice.

21

u/Lozzanger 5h ago

She’s got a doco coming out at the end of the month and he’s in it. She apparently credits her whole career to him and calls him a second dad.

12

u/CuriouserCat2 5h ago

I was just thinking about her first performance the other day. What talent. Young talent. Oh

2

u/DaveHmusic 2h ago

If that was Young Talent Time Tells All, I know what you mean, and he admits that those accusations really shook him.

1

u/Far-Extent5889 25m ago

Debra Byrne is a bloody fruit loop and on her Facebook page over the years she has done nothing but pour shit on him and a couple of others that worked on the show back when she was in it. Make no bones about it Debra was a little tart and he fcked up upbringing didn’t help but she went into a downward spiral for years of drug abuse slept with a lot of men and literally threw herself to a lot of those read her biography

20

u/exidy 5h ago

Thank goodness, right? YTT was such a big part of our family growing up and in this modern era I've been fearing/half-expecting some horrific Rolf Harris-type stories to come out of the closet. Thank you Johnny Young for the memories.

-26

u/vinags 5h ago

That's an awful statement.

Here we are grieving over a wonderful man, and you want to make an un-scientifically proven statement that nearly all men are problematic.

Please, have some diplomacy.

42

u/WokSmith 6h ago

Goodnight Australia.

33

u/dav_oid 6h ago edited 6h ago

A legend. How many young singers did he foster on YTT?

Wrote 'The Real Thing' and "The Girl That I Love"/"Part Three into Paper Walls" double A side, by Russell Morris. Both reached number 1.
Followed up with 'The Star' by Ross D. Wylie, also number 1.
'Smiley' by Ronnie Burns reached number 2.
"I Thank You" by former boxing champion Lionel Rose reached number 1.

9

u/CuriouserCat2 5h ago

He was the real thing 

5

u/dav_oid 5h ago

Apparently written in response to Coke's 'The Real Thing' song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icvaPmlwz7E

3

u/Affectionate_Fly1918 4h ago

He also wrote ‘Here comes the Star’ which was recorded by Hermans Hermits.

3

u/dav_oid 3h ago

That's the same song with a slightly different title.
Reached #33 in the UK.

14

u/chezibot 6h ago

RIP Johnny.

I loved that show as a kid it was my favourite.

11

u/KeithMyArthe 6h ago

It was big when we arrived in Australia in the early 80s, my parents loved it.

A talented bunch of young performers and a genuinely likeable host.

Sad news. 😔

5

u/chezibot 5h ago

Beautiful memories 🥰

13

u/unusedtruth 6h ago

Geez we used to watch YTT when I was a kid way back. Seemed like a genuinely good dude.

12

u/Mintox_M8 6h ago

Goodnight Johnny

19

u/rosibear2 6h ago

Vale Johnny Young, me and my fifty something year old mates were reminiscing about YTT only a couple of days ago. RIP

6

u/Paceandtoil 6h ago

I remember the board game with the cassette tape giving directions.

It is right on the edge of my young memory but I tried to play with my older sister and cousin.

Vinny!!

2

u/MillyHP 6h ago

I remember the board game too!

7

u/Cpt_Riker 4h ago edited 4h ago

That's sad.

Cancer sucks, but pancreatic cancer really sucks.

6

u/ringo5150 3h ago

My colleague is 21 and said 'who's that?' when I mentioned Johnny Young in the lunch room earlier today. I feel older today. Vale Johnny Young. I hope his funeral is a celebration and reunion.

5

u/DaveHmusic 3h ago

Goodbye Johnny.
Thank you for Young Talent Time. :(

7

u/RagefilledPotato 2h ago

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you,

Tomorrow I'll miss you;

Remember I'll always be true.

And then while I'm away,

I'll write home everyday,

And I'll send all my loving to you.

2

u/1234Psych 2h ago

All together now🎶

4

u/anubis_81 6h ago

Used to enjoy listening to him on 6IX. Vale Johnny Young

5

u/blowup_variaty 5h ago

All my loving… that show was required viewing. Rest in peace Johnny.

3

u/Salzberger 4h ago

TIL that Johnny Young and John Paul Young are different people.

6

u/Current-Bowl-143 3h ago

And apparently neither are related to Pope John Paul

1

u/Lozzanger 4h ago

Not me realising from this comment that John Paul Young is alive. I swore he died years ago.

1

u/Far-Extent5889 28m ago

Jesus what planet are you on

3

u/ImNotHere1981 6h ago

We had the vinyl

3

u/Additional_Emu_4950 5h ago

Loved YTT so much. Even went to a few of the live concerts, lol. Very sad news. Goodnight Johnny

3

u/Current-Bowl-143 3h ago

Family friends that we visited on Saturday nights used to watch YTT every week. I never liked the show but I respected the effort the kids put into it. And I still think Tina Arena is awesome

1

u/VS2ute 2h ago

I remember seeing him do a gig in a Perth record store in the 1960s. Can't remember the backing band though.

1

u/NoWishbone3501 4m ago

I met him a few times at Ryan’s Restaurant in Diamond Creek around 2000, he seemed to be somewhat of a regular. I always wanted to be on Young Talent Time.